Mail-bag-retainer mechanism.



J. P. SANDER. MAIL BAG RETAINER MECHANISM. I

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 23. I915- Pafenfed June 26, [9i 7.

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JOSEPH P. SANDER, 0F SPOKANE, WASHINGTON, ASSIGNOR TO THE SPOKANE MAIL EQUIPMENT COMPANY, A CORPORATION.

MAIL-BAG-RETAINER MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 26, 1917.

To all LU/L077), it may concern.

Be it known that I, Josnrrr P. SANDER, a citizen of the United States, residing at in the county of Spokane and State of lVashington, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mail-Bag- Retainer Mechanism, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in mail catching mechanisms and has to do more particularly with mechanism of this character in which a fork-like catcher is used, for catching a portion of the bag, a retainer being provided to coact with the fork to retain a caught bag against disengagement from the fork. One form of this type of mechanism is illustrated in my pending application filed September 2, 1914, Serial Number 859,865.

In my prior application the retainer was absolutely freely movable and performed its function independently of any kind of spring catches or looks and wholly in an automatic manner. However, that portion which was actuated by the bag to throw the retainer into a bag retaining position, was not only located at one terminal end of the retainer, but was disposed adjacent the bight of the fork-throat.

In my present invention, that portion of the retainer which is engaged by the bag to throw the retainer into a fork opening position'is located near the entrance of the fork throat and is also provided with a hook. Thus this single terminal end performs a dual function of a retainer shifting portion and a bag hook portion, the first being to throw the retainer into a fork opening position. and the second being to retain the bag from disengagement from the fork after it has entered the fork.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a retainer of substantially U-shaped form, one leg of the retainer being adapted to lie in overhanging relation with the open fork and in the path of the bag portion so that when the latter enters the fork it will engage said leg and throw the remaining leg and hook portion across the throat of the fork to hold the bag against rebound disengagement from the fork.

Other features and objects of the inven tion will be more fully described in conmotion with the accompanying drawing and will be more particularly pointed out in and by the appended claims.

In the drawing Figure l is a plan view of the device of my invention with the retainer in a fork closing position such as it might occupy bcfore a bag had entered the fork.

Fig. 2 is an edge view looking from the bottom of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1 with the retainer shifted into a fork opening position and showing a bag portion entering the throat of the fork and about to engage one leg of the retainer to shift the latter.

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 showing the retainer shifted into a fork closing position and illustrating the bag portion having rebound from the bight of the throat back into the hook of the retainer.

Like characters of reference designate similar parts throughout the different figures of the drawing.

As illustrated, l designates the shank of a bag catching fork with diverging fork arms 2 extending laterally therefrom. The point of greatest convergence of the fork arms 2 is indicated at 3, which, in the present construction, is the entrance to the throat l of the fork. The throat 4 is relatively enlarged with respect to the entrance thereto, as formed by the terminals 3, and the bight 5 of the throat at is shown as being of semi-circular formation. A line a=-a' indicates the longitudinal axis of the fork throat and at predetermined points on one face of the fork, I dispose stops 6 and '7, which may he in the form of pins.

y improved retainer is shown pivotally mounted between its ends upon the fork at one side of the longitudinal center thereof, as indicated by the pivot S. In this construction, the retainer is pivoted adjacent its bight 9. One limb of the U-shaped retainer is indicated at 10 and the other limb at 11. Limb 1O terminates in a bag abutment portion whose main function is to shift the rc tainer into athroat opening position when struck by the bag. Such abutment or shif ing portion is indicated at 12 and the same preferably extends. in opposite directions from its juncture 13, with the limb 10, and in the plane of the retainer. It will also be noted that the shifting terminal 19 is in clincd with respect to the axis m-m so as to 6 5 1" l N i ft- M a a c t a act as a cam when engaged by a bag portion, as indicated at e. The bag portion .2 will be formed by a chain or cord extending from the end of the bag and its direction of movement will be to the right of Fig. 1, thereby shifting the retainer from the position shown in Fig. 1 to the position shown in Fig. 3. It will be noted that the retainer can not move beyond the closing position shown in Fig. 1, because of the stop 7. Furthermore, when the bag portion .2 has struck the shifting end 12 and shifted the retainer into the position shown in Fig. 3, the retainer will be arrested by step 6.

Now assuming that the bag portion .2 has entered the throat l, of the fork, it will be seen that when it abuts against the bight 5 thereof, it will move against retracting limb 11, whose inner edge 13 overhangs the wall portion 14: of the throat 4:. Thus on abutment of the bag portion .2 against the bight 5, the retainer will be shifted from the position shown in Fig. 3 into the position shown in Fig. 4:.

One of the novel features of my invention consists in providing the arm 10 with a shifting cam terminal which not only performs this function but which also performs the function of a rebound retainer for the bag portion .2 by reason of the fact that the inner face of the terminal end 12 isshaped to form a hook 15. Thus when the bag portion 2 rebounds from its engagement with the bi ght 5, it will be caught by the hook 15 and the rebounding stroke will be utilized by the retainer to hold the latter in a bag retaining position.

When it is desired to detach the bag from the catching fork, the retainer may be manually swung' into a fork opening position, as shown in Fig. 3.

Now, the great advantages of avoiding any kind of a spring actuated lock or a lock of any kind whatsoever, in a device of' this character which is practically at all times exposed to the atmosphere will be readily appreciated and it was with a view of avoiding any kind of movable locking device for the retainer, that this form of invention was produced.

a It is believed that the advantages and utility of my invention will be clearly understood from the foregoing description, and while I have shown and described one specific form of my invention I do not wish to be limited thereto except for such limitations as the claims may import.

I claim 1- 1. In a mail catching device, a fork having a throat to receive a portion of a mail bag, a substantially fiat U-shaped retainer pivoted near its bight at a point out of line with the longitudinal axis of said throat, one

a bag portion on 'oted near its bight upon said limb of said retainer having a cam-like bagabutting portion adapted to swing across said throat in one adjustment of said retainer and inclined with respect to the axis of said throat whereby impact of the bag therewith will shift said retainer to open said throat to receive a portion of a bag, a stop for limiting movement of said retainer to open said threat, the remaining leg of said retainer lying in overlapping relation with respect to a portion of said throat and in the path of an entering bag portion to be shifted thereby to dispose said cam :across said throat to close the latter, said cam having a hook-shaped portion facing the bight of said throat to engage the rebound of .the latter and prevent the bag from becoming disengaged from said fork, and a stop limiting movement of said retainer toward a throat closing position, substantially as described.

2. In a mail catching device, a fork having a throat to receive a portion of a mail bag, a substantially U-shaped retainer pivfork, one limb of said retainer having a cam-shaped shifting end adapted to extend across the throat in one adjustment of said retainer whereby impact of the bag on said cam will shift said retainer to open said throat to receive a bag portion, the remaining leg of said retainer lying in overlapping relation with respect to a portion of the throat of said fork and in the path of an entering bag portion to be engaged by the latter to shift the retainer into a throat closingposition, the cam end of the retainer having a hook for engaging the bag portion on its rebound away from the bight of the throat, substantially as described.

3. In a mail bag catching device, a fork, and a retainer pivoted to said fork and having one end provided with a cam facing toward an incoming bag portion to be engaged thereby to shift said retainer, and said end having a hook facing in a direction opposite said cam for retaining said bag portionafter the same has been caught, substantially as described.

1. In a mail bag'catching device, a fork, and a retainer pivoted to said fork and having an end provided with a cam for engagement with an incoming bag to shift said retainer into a fork opening position, said retainer having a member lying in the path of said bag portion for engagement by the caught bag to shift the retainer into a fork closing position, said cam having a hook for limiting rebound movement of the bag portion out of said fork, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix mysignature.

JOSEPH P. SANDER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

